Identity Unknown
by XxXCatareinaXxX
Summary: Bella Swan has been placed under the Witness Protection Program after watching the murder of her mother, Renée Swan. Now, she’s fleeing from the murderers who seek to destroy the only person who could testify against them. Longer summary inside
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I do not actually own any of the Twilight Saga's characters; it doesn't stop me from manipulating them or picturing them in uniform.

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**Summary: **Bella Swan has been placed under the Witness Protection Program after watching the murder of her mother, Renée Swan. Now, she's fleeing from the murderers who seek to destroy the only person who could testify against them. Bella, now using the name Amara Phillips, is being protected by Detective Edward Cullen… [All Human, BxE]

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**Edward – 22**

**Alice – 19**

**Jasper – 22**

**Rosalie – 22**

**Emmett – 26**

**Carlisle – 41**

**Esme – 35**

**Bella – 19**

**Jacob – 25**

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Chapter 1

**Bella POV**

_I don't know what caused her to wake up, or crawl out of bed and feel her way downstairs like she did. It might have been the false sense of security our usually quiet, rural home lulls us into, or the child-like confidence she naturally emitted, or the instinctive need to protect._

None of that matters now I guess_, I think to myself as I watch my mother's still form being zipped up into a nondescript black body bag. The scene around me seemed to become more morbid with the flashing red and blue lights, and they certainly are not helping my already weak stomach. God, there was so much blood._

_A worried looking EMS slowly approaches me; I think she can tell I'm going to be sick. She starts talking to me, but all I hear is the tone of her voice, all the words blur together. She seems to notice that I'm not really paying attention after a few minutes, and leads me to sit on one of the back of one of the ambulances. _

_I stir when a weight presses gently over my shoulders, and I blindly wrap the blanket closer around me, nestling into the warmth and protectiveness, and look up into the face of a friendly looking cop. His obsidian black eyes glittered with concern, and he gently laid a russet hand on my shoulder in a silent form of support. His skin tone intrigued me, and I stared down at it. My eyes traveled up his bare arm, which was odd, considering it was November, and eventually focused on his badge, and below it, stitched in yellow embroidery thread, the word 'Black.' I muffle a sob, lean toward him, and feel his arms wrap around me as he sits down. His voice is easier to discern, the familiarity is comforting. _

"_Shh, Bells, honey it's all going to be okay… I'll make it better, I promise." He murmured. I couldn't stop the sobs that ripped from my chest; the shock had worn off, and now I was mourning the loss of one of the people I loved._

"_J-Jacob." My voice cracked and the rest of my sentence was drowned out by more tears. He patiently stroked my hair, letting me lean against him; use his strength to build my own. I needed to tell him something. After the onslaught was over, I steeled myself and looked up at him. Something about those eyes calmed me enough to get out the words I needed to say. "I saw who did it."_

_I felt him tense next to me, and then force himself to relax. We both knew what that meant. He nodded slowly, and cupped my face in both of his large hands. "I'll make it better." He said again, then got up and went to go find his chief, leaving me there to curl into myself again. I didn't get too far when a blonde paramedic came up to the ambulance and took Jacob's spot next to me, smiling at me gently. _

"_Bella?" He said my name softly, and I wondered how he knew not to use my full name. A worried glance in my direction from Jacob answered my silent question. The paramedic gently reached forward, touching my shoulder. I looked at him slowly. He smiled again. His blonde hair was stained red and blue alternatively by the flashing lights, however he was altogether attractive, though he was surely old enough to be my father. The corners of his eyes were crinkled, and in the light emitting from the back of the ambulance, I could see slivers of silver streaking his hair. "Bella, my name's Carlisle. Do you want to go to the hospital, or do you have a place to stay?" I gave him a look that questioned his mental abilities, and slowly slid my gaze to Jacob, who was still talking to his chief. Carlisle followed my gaze and made a soft noise of understanding. "Well I'd like to check to make sure you're not hurt at all, can I do that?" _

"_I'm fine." I mumbled, attempting to make my tone belligerent. He merely smiled at me and slowly rose, popping the earpieces of his stethoscope into place, and pressed the pad against my back. _

"_Deep breath," He murmured softly. We followed the routine. I think he was doing it to try to coax me into talking a bit more, or reacting again, as I'd done with Jake. However, he was missing a key point to my breakdown; Jacob was my friend, and Carlisle was not…_

--

"Bells are you sure you want to do this right now? We could go home; you could get some sleep…" He was trying so hard to mind what he said… Did I really look as breakable as I felt? I put my hand gently on his arm, the contrast always making me a bit jealous; I was whiter than snow.

"I'm fine honey. I should do this now and get it out of the way while I can still remember it clearly. Besides, if I do this now, you'll have less work later." I smiled. I was whispering in case my voice broke. My joke fell on disapproving ears, and he narrowed his eyes at me. I lowered my gaze guiltily.

By the time dawn broke, I was in Jacob's car headed for the station to fill out a statement. Jake promised me it was only routine. He kept glancing over at me, as if expecting me to burst into tears again, or try to jump from the moving vehicle. I smiled weakly in an attempt to assure him, but otherwise curled into myself. I didn't want to have to feel the grieving pain I'd experienced when I was sitting in the ambulance. I wasn't to proud to admit that I was terrified of the raw, throbbing cavity that now seemed to encompass my heart and reached to cause every part of my body to pulse with a deep ache. I fought new tears back ruthlessly, not wanting to use Jacob like that again. I knew he could see through my pathetic attempts at acting, he'd always been able to. Jacob was my rock, my sun since I was little, and he knew that I was a hopeless liar. My gaze focused on the landscape that flashed by. I watched the sprawling city eventually grow larger as we neared its core, rising up from the asphalt terrain, reaching toward the heavens with its concrete and glass fingers.

Jacob turned down a pristine looking street toward the station, where cruisers parked along the street and people periodically walked in and out. A few cops were lingering outside the front doors smoking, chatting idly with each other. I took a deep breath and steeled myself. I had a feeling this was going to be a lot harder than simply writing out a statement. Jake opened the door for me and I got out, sighing softly.

"You're sure you want to do this now?" He murmured gently, his hand on the small of my back. I smiled up at him, nodding. "Yeah, I don't think this is something I'm allowed to procrastinate." I started walking toward the station, earning the attention of the cops outside, a couple of them waving to me in greeting. It wasn't as if I wasn't well known around here. Renée had been good friends with a lot of these men and women.

I suddenly found it very hard to breathe as soon as I walked into the station. People looked up as we entered, and a few waved in recognition to both of us, nothing abnormal. Jacob led me through the throng of people in the general direction of his desk. I stuck close to him, like I usually did when I came to office with him, and sat down across from him instead of my usual seat next to him.

Jake shrugged off his jacket and weaved his way through the desks to get some water, allowing me time to orient myself. Suddenly, the hairs on the back of my neck stood on end as I realized I was being watched. I turned just in time to see the dark, wild eyes and cascade of fiery red hair before I was thrown to the ground and covered by another body as shots rang out.

A bullet buried itself into the back of my chair and I whimpered and flattened myself against the ground. Whoever was shielding me –I knew it wasn't Jacob; this man was quite a bit larger- shifted in compromise. I heard him cuss, and sighed in recognition. Emmett Cullen, one of the cops who Jake worked with. _Of course,_ I thought. _Only he, Jacob and Jasper know me._

There was yelling and more gunshots. Somewhere behind me, I heard glass shatter. One of the civilians who had come in screamed, which was cut short by another shot. Emmett rolled with me as a bullet ricocheted off Jake's desk, still managing to pin me under him. I felt a stabbing sensation in my palm, and then felt a warm trickle of blood run down it. My head spun.

After what seemed like forever, the room silenced, though my ears still rang with the repeated gunfire, and Emmett slowly got off me, picking me up. I wavered, the scent of blood was stronger now that it wasn't being pressed against the ground, and I swooned. Emmett carefully sat me down in a graciously uninjured chair, and called for a medic.

"No, I'm fine its just a scratch.." I mumbled, even as my vision swam in front of my eyes. Eventually I pressed my hand against my jeans, and looked around. Smoke hazed the room, making it harder to see than normal. People were bustling around, and I could hear the sirens outside from the cops who were intent upon chasing the shooter. I shivered as I remembered the look in her eyes before she started firing. Emmett looked around and eventually sighed when he saw Jacob and a blonde woman, who practically threw herself against him.

"Bella are you okay? Let me see your hand… Hold your breath." Jacob murmured, carrying an antiseptic swab and a band-aid. I turned my hand over and stopped breathing. He knew I got sick around blood, I'd forgotten. I smiled tensely when he apologized for the sting of the antiseptic, and then wrapped my arms around him when he was finished.

"Are _you _okay?" I asked breathlessly, clinging to the older man. He chuckled and I felt him nod. "Sure, sure, I'm not going anywhere."

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**All right, end of chapter. I wasn't really trying to make Bella and Jake's relationship seem romantic, but it's apparently worked that way. Don't worry, I'm not changing the pairing. Anyways, please read and review. More reviews, the faster I post another chapter.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** I do not actually own any of the Twilight Saga's characters; it doesn't stop me from manipulating them or picturing them in uniform.

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**Thanks to those of you who reviewed, I feel loved. Anyway, Edward's not showing up in this chap, but the next one. Hope you enjoy nonetheless.**

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**Edward – 22**

**Alice – 19**

**Jasper – 22**

**Rosalie – 22**

**Emmett – 26**

**Carlisle – 41**

**Esme – 35**

**Bella – 19**

**Jacob – 25**

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Chapter 2

**BPOV**

After everything had settled down, Jacob shifted slightly, looking at the blonde. "I think we should get this done now, Rosalie." He said, and she nodded. Both turned toward me, and I blushed from the sudden attention. I smiled tentatively, which the woman returned.

"Hello Miss Swan, my name is Rosalie Hale." She introduced. "I'm a criminal sketch artist. Officer Black has informed me that you are able to produce an accurate description of the people who killed your mother. You got a clear look of both their faces?" She asked, her tone slightly doubtful. I nodded.

"You did too, Ms. Hale." I murmured, causing her to give me a confused look. Jacob blinked at me, and then his gaze slowly trailed to the emergency exit through which the station's shooter exited. "Yeah, Jake, that was one of them." I muttered. I felt him tense next to me, and shivered. "So yes, I can now say I can provide an accurate description of both." My voice, I was surprised to hear, was solid. I was glad that for once it wasn't giving away the absolute terror I was still trying to reign in. Rosalie and Emmett looked at each other, and Emmett nodded slowly. She looked back at me.

"Well then Miss. Swan-"

"Call me Bella." I cut in, hating to be so formal.

"Alright Bella," She amended. "Jacob and I will take you into one of the interrogation rooms so we can start on the profiles. It just gets us out of the way so forensics can try and find the bullets." She smiled. I nodded, but a voice in the back of my mind highly doubted that they would. She nodded again, obviously oblivious to my thoughts, and led me toward the back of the station. I shuffled after her, my thoughts straying. I avoided the obvious thoughts in the forefront in my mind, not able to deal with the importance of them at this moment. Instead, I focused on petty things. I began comparing Rosalie to myself.

It was obvious that she was far prettier than I was, even a blind man could see that. She had long, flowing blonde hair which she had tied half-up, allowing it to still cascade down to pool around her waist. She frankly had the body of a model, and knew it, by the looks of the clothing she wore. Her neat, bark blue suit jacket and matching skirt had an obvious feminine quality to it, accenting her curves tastefully.

She wasn't dressing up for just anyone, I mused. I looked back at Emmett, who was talking with another officer, snapping on forensic gloves. Apparently he was going to help look. The way Ms. Hale looked at him was quite obvious that she was enamoured, which wasn't helped by the way she threw herself at him after we got up. He seemed to feel the same about her, but it was harder to read the hulking, bearlike man.

"Bella." Jacob called, causing me to jump as I came out of my reverie. I blushed again when I realized they were both staring at me, and quickly scampered through the door that Ms. Hale held open for me, bowing my head so my hair would curtain my flaming face. I could hear Jacob snickering as he followed me in. I turned to shoot him a glare, which only caused him to snicker harder.

"All right, Bella, let's sit down at first describe the female." Ms. Hale said curtly, her tone becoming instantly professional. "If you could begin describing the woman's facial structure, features, anything you can remember. I'll show you periodically to spur on more detail, and then when we're done, we'll take a quick break before moving onto the other one." She smiled gently. "If at any time you need to pause, just tell me. I know how stressful this can be." I smiled back at her, and she promptly went to work setting up her sketch pad and pencils.

I closed my eyes. It was easier for me to imagine –or remember- when my eyes were closed. I envisioned the woman, and eventually began to describe her features, the sharp slant of her jaw, mid-set cheekbones. She could have been beautiful, I mused, if she hadn't already proven herself a monster. I told Ms. Hale about her altogether wild, catlike disposition. I told her about her hair, a mane of vivid, fiery red curls, which simultaneously seemed both groomed and in a constant state of disarray, and about her eyes, which were dark. I couldn't tell the color of them, because I could not see past the crazed light in them, which made her seem all the more menacing.

After about an hour, Ms. Hale called for the break she promised, and I slumped wearily in my chair. Jake watched me worriedly, but I waved his concern off. Ms. Hale looked between us, and slowly rose, motioning for Jacob to follow her.

"Bella we'll be right back, I need to talk to Officer Black for a moment." She replied to my curious expression, smiling. "Then we'll come back, and if you're ready, we can finish up, alright?" I nodded, and watched both leave the room. A sudden wave of nausea rolled over me, and I groaned. Slumping forward, I pressed my face against the cool metal of the table, and focused on breathing.

**JPOV**

Rose led me from the room, much to my displeasure. Bella wasn't looking so good, and I wanted to stay with her in case she needed me. But, the blonde's expression told me not to argue, and I didn't particularly want to get into an argument with her… again. I was wrenched from my thoughts when I nearly ran into her, which wouldn't have been altogether unpleasant, except for the fact that her husband was standing in behind of her. I grinned sheepishly at the both of them, and Emmett merely rolled his eyes.

"Considering what Bella's told us," Rosalie hedged, earning all of our attention. She was nervous, I blinked. She didn't like what she was about to say, or knew that it would upset one of us. I felt my stomach clench. Emmett and I frowned down at her, causing her fidgeting to get worse.

"Just spit it out Rose." I advised in as gentle a tone I could. She nodded, and then sighed.

"I think Bella should be placed under witness protection." She mumbled. My eyes widened, and I was unprepared for the white-hot anger which coursed through me. Was I not good enough to protect her? Why would they want to stick her with people she didn't know, and would probably not be comfortable around, when I was perfectly able to keep her safe?

Emmett seemed to know my train of thought, because he put his hand on my shoulder and squeezed reassuringly. "It's not that you wouldn't be able to keep her safe, Jake, but psycho-bitch has already seen you, she'll know you're a cop. We need to have Bella stay with someone who they don't know, otherwise we'll never catch them and Bella will be in more danger. Besides, think about it; why would crazy come in here, when she's wanted for murder, unless she was desperate? It just makes more sense." I sighed, and relaxed. He did have a point. "Besides, without her to keep you distracted, you can work with me and Jasper in catching these loons." Emmett grinned.

Jasper's head popped up from behind a desk, his light, olive-green eyes glittering with curiosity and confusion. "I heard my name." He stated simply, walking over to us. Emmett grinned at him conspiratorially.

"We're just trying to convince that if Black here leaves Ms. Swan with W.P.P, then he'll have more time to help us hunt down and arrest the ones responsible for this.

"Would he be allowed to join us? He doesn't even have a partner…" Jasper murmured, looking me over a couple times as if trying to construe something from my expression or the way I held myself. "Stop being so defensive, Jacob, I'm only pointing out what my partner fails to see." I blinked at him. How did he know what I was _thinking_?

"I'm only partner-less by choice." I reminded him. "I was supposed to be assigned one later this year anyway." I frowned, remembering the write-up I had gotten of the apparently good natured, excitable cop fresh out of academy. _Joy…_ Returning to the present situation, I shifted when I noticed our chief walking toward us, his eyes wary. He knew we were up to something. In many ways, he reminded me of my dad, with the sad, blatantly obvious difference of my father's inability to walk anymore. I grinned at him and threw him a half-assed salute. He rolled his eyes at me.

"Something the matter gentlemen… And lady." He asked, already suspecting the answer. Rosalie giggled at his own correction, leaning against Emmett companionably. I rolled my eyes. Could they be any more obvious?

"Actually Chief, this is perfect." Jasper smiled. "We were just about to come find you anyway. Officer Cullen and I were wondering whether we could join Officer Black in investigating Renée Swan's murderer." Chief blinked at us for a minute.

"Her daughter's the one in the interrogation room, right?" I nodded, half leaning toward it. "She fell asleep; I just came back from there to check on her." Chief grinned at me. God, did everyone know? At that moment, I caught Rose smiling sweetly at Jasper. Now, this would have been very flattering if we didn't know what was coming next. She shifted against her husband, and batted her eyelashes at her twin. We all groaned in annoyance.

"What do you want, Rose?" He asked wearily, his gaze skeptic. She pouted a bit but rebounded quickly.

"Well, Alice works in that department, doesn't she?" She asked, her tone thoughtful. My attention was caught, and I stared at the blondes. That was right. Emmett acquired a 'oh, right' look, and seemed a bit sheepish that he hadn't thought of it sooner. I watched them warily. Alice Cullen, Emmett's sister and Jasper's fiancée, worked in the Witness Protection Program, I'd forgotten. I mulled the prospect over in my head. This could work… I returned my attention to the conversation when Jasper turned to me, smiling. "I'll make sure Ms. Swan's taken care of, through Alice. She's the type of person she'd like." He chuckled, running his fingers through his hair in a manner, which reminded me of the other Cullen in the police department. It was funny, how they'd managed to branch themselves out into different departments…

"Where's your brother?" I asked Emmett, and he shrugged.

"Thought you didn't like Edward." He accused, eyeing me. For some strange reason I couldn't quite explain, there'd always been a mutual hatred between Edward Cullen and I. It had just grown into routine. I shrugged.

"'Cause you guys usually hang around as a group, that's all." I brushed it off and turned to go back to Bella. "Rose, can we finish up, please?" I asked softly, causing her to jump slightly.

"Oh, right." She scampered after me after kissing Emmett's cheek gently. Jasper and I rolled our eyes and I continued walking, back to the girl I loved, who was probably falling to—Wait, _the girl I loved? _Where the hell had that come from? Sighing, I shook my head and followed Rose into the room, eager to finish this up as fast as possible, and get Bella home. We had a long day ahead of us tomorrow.

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**Relatively anti-climatic, but sue me, I was running out of things to say. Anyways, you guys know the routine, Read & Review, please and thanks ^^**

**- Reina**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** I do not actually own any of the Twilight Saga's characters; it doesn't stop me from manipulating them or picturing them in uniform.

**--**

**Edward appears, finally, in this chapter. I apologize for any OOC-ness on his part, but I'll try to get his character as close as possible.**

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**Edward – 22**

**Alice – 19**

**Jasper – 22**

**Rosalie – 22**

**Emmett – 26**

**Carlisle – 41**

**Esme – 35**

**Bella – 19**

**Jacob – 25**

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Chapter 3

**EPOV**

The day had, of course, started like any other. After a long night in the office, I'd gone home and collapsed onto my bed, only to be awoken by the shrill shrieking of my alarm clock, signalling another day of sleep-deprived work. I yawned widely, rolling my shoulders in an attempt to relieve them of the dull throbbing they seemed to have acquired during the night.

With a weary sigh, I rose and carefully made my way to the bathroom, looking forward to the wakefulness that a hot shower would bring me. The water felt good on my sleep-chilled skin, letting the remnants of last night run down into the drain below me. Once I was finished, I stepped out and swiped at the fog that the mirror.

I examined myself, I felt different this morning. I searched for any differences, and subtle alterations which would be practically unnoticeable to a stranger's eye. There was nothing, though my hair did seem a bit longer. It lay in a darkened bronzed tousle atop my head, falling down into my eyes slightly. It would lighten when it dried, though I didn't think I'd brush it. It always seemed to look better when it was untidy.

The exploration of my own face led me along the strong curve of my jaw, my cheekbones. My mother, Esme, always said that I had the looks of a model, but I always found it hard to agree with her. I found myself flawed, and assumed her praise was nothing more than motherly affection for her son. My eyes, a rich green, stared guardedly back at me, not daring to allow out any emotion which may make me appear vulnerable. I was told, by many people, that I had a skill for reading people. I believed that, but only on the assumption that everybody merely left themselves far too open.

Once my morning ritual was over, and I was dressed in my usual clothing – a suit, rolled up to the elbows, collar loosened informally with the jacket thrown over the back of the kitchen chair. I groped for the coffee which had just finished brewing, the machine hissing softly at me as water dropped to the element when I stole the pot from its heated grip. I poured myself a cup, turning to gaze unseeingly out the window of my condominium.

I've been a detective for three years now, specializing in witness protection and relocation. The Chief of Police and DA both treat me as if I am some sort of prodigy, but I'm not. I just know how to study people and figure out what they need. It's not a gift; anyone can learn it. I sighed softly, throwing back the rest of my coffee, enjoying the feel of it scalding my throat as it slid down.

I was out the door within the next minute, and was stopped at a light when my cell rang. It was my sister, Alice. She was my relocation associate, along with our mother, Esme. I still found it funny that my entire family had a link to the judicial system. I flipped open my cell, smiling gently.

"Hey Pixie, what's up?" I greeted, my tone teasing. Alice was the meaning of the word petite. She was smaller than I was; making her appear younger, though I was the youngest in the family. I remember that she was always tagged when we went out to get a drink, because she looks underage. I grinned wider, though she couldn't see it.

"Hey Edward," She never shortened my name. "We've got a new one down here; didn't you get my memo to be here for six?" Whoops…

"Ah, no, sorry Alice." I could almost hear her rolling her eyes at my sheepishness. "I'll be there in five minutes."

"Okie-day. Hurry though, she's a real looker~" She giggled. From the other end of the line, I heard Jasper mutter her name in affectionate annoyance before the line went dead. I was still laughing when I pulled into the parking lot a couple minutes later.

I wandered toward the cluster of offices that designated the team I worked with. I only worked with my family; I knew they were the only ones who would stick with me if something got messy. Although we aren't blood-related, my family is the closest-knit group of people I have ever known. Carlisle and Esme are the most wonderful parents any of us could have asked for, and I love my brother and sister dearly, though their personalities do not always correspond with mine.

This in mind, I walked through the standard glass door. The sound of mad typing met my ears. On the other side of the small office, my mother's cool, calm voice as she spoke over the phone. Her shoulders were squared assertively, and her jaw was set, which told me that she was most likely arguing with someone from Human Resources.

"No, you do not understand." She spoke sharply. I had to smile at her tone. She looked up and briefly flashed me a smile, gesturing toward the room to my left. The blinds had been pulled, so there was no way to see in. The typing faltered; Alice looked up.

"Edward, there you are." She smiled, sounding a bit exasperated. "She's in there, with Emmett and Jazz." She confirmed my unspoken question, grinning. "Esme's trying to get her new ID, and I'm working on a background for her… Poor thing." She sighed, shaking her head. "All the worst stuff happens to the sweetest of people. Anyway, they're waiting." She gestured, and then resumed typing.

Guardedly, I walked into the room the victim was waiting in, nodding to Jasper and Emmett in turn, before turning my gaze to the girl. She was shorter than I was, but not as petite as Alice, or even Rosalie, with long, chestnut brown hair with chocolate brown eyes, which seemed to hold more wisdom than a person her age should have, as if she were older than she looked. Her lips had parted slightly when I entered, as if about to say something, or to breathe more easily. I smiled slightly at her, and her eyes seemed to glaze over. Emmett chuckled softly and gently laid a hand on her shoulder, causing her to jump, her eyes sharpening again.

"Hello," I said softly, calmly. No need to make her jumpier than she already was. "I'd like to formally introduce myself. I'm Edward Cullen." She nodded, seeming glazed over again. I continued as if I hadn't noticed. "I trust you've already met my brother, Emmett, and my brother in law, Jasper?" Another nod. "Good… Alice and Esme are currently working on the finer details of your relocation, and then I will personally escort you to the airport, and take you to New York City. You will be a different person when we touch down, I'll be sure to brief you during the flight and let you get acquainted with your new self." I explained carefully, as I did with each client. "I will be with you as a guard until you are no longer at risk, in which time you can come back and return to your life here, if you so choose." She opened her mouth again, but this time, she spoke.

"Thank you..." She murmured softly. "You're personally escorting me? Am I in that much danger that an escort and bodyguard are necessary?" Though her tone was calm, her eyes gave her fear away. I tried to calm her.

"They're only precautions. If you want, we could use Jasper or Emmett, or someone else you're more comfortable with." I suggested, but she shook her head stubbornly.

"No, the people after me have seen everyone I'm comfortable with, and I refuse to subject my father to this danger." She murmured. Her brow creased as her eyes betrayed her newly acquired worry. Something told me she was worrying about _our _welfare. "How much longer will we be in Phoenix?" She asked. I smiled again.

"Alice and Esme are nearly-"

"Done!" Alice chirruped as she bounced into the room, causing me to roll my eyes. She handed me an envelope of papers, passports, everything Bella Swan needed to become someone else entirely. "There's a credit card in there too, so she can buy new clothes and other necessities that she needs to. It's wired through so many webs of networking that by the time someone hacked into it, it will be disconnected." She grinned. I rolled my eyes. I keep forgetting she was an ex hacker. Jasper smiled at her gratefully, as did Bella.

"All right then, all we need now is-" I shot Alice an annoyed look when she cut me off again.

"Tickets are already in there, all you need to do is go to the airport." She smiled. Bella shifted uncomfortably, and I glanced at her out of the corner of my eye.

"Where's Jacob… Uh, Officer Black…?" She asked, her eyes on Alice. Alice smiled at her warmly.

"He's in the hallway, pacing back and forth like a caged animal." She replied animatedly. "Want to talk to him before you go?" Bella nodded, and Alice flitted from the room, only for her to return a couple moments later, with the man I assumed was Officer Jacob Black in tow. He crossed immediately toward Bella and hugged her. She sighed.

"Jake, I'm fine." She murmured, gently nudging him a safe distance. She obviously didn't share the same passion he displayed. I watched from the side, while softly conversing with Alice about housing and so on.

"Bella? Catch." Alice commented, tossing a small silver cell phone at her. "In case you need to get a hold of Edward or any of us in a hurry… I don't see the harm in adding Officer Black to the address book." She added, smiling slightly. Bella smiled back gratefully, quickly padding in the number. Jacob Black watched over her shoulder.

"Miss Swan we need to go now." I said softly, glancing at my watch. I wasn't kidding, the plane taxis with or without us in an hour and a half. "That is, if we want to get to New York by tonight, anyway." She nodded, hugging Black again. He held her tightly, and I felt a very strong urge to pull him off her. After a couple minutes, Bella pulled back and walked over to me, looking up at me nervously. I smiled comfortingly at her, following her out of the room.

Esme walked up to us, gently pushing a drivers' licence into her hands. "This is who you'll be until you're safe again, sweetie." She said softly, and Bella looked down at the rectangular piece of plastic. Along with her regular information, as well as her new birthday, was her new name: 'Amara Phillips.' Her lips moved silently around the name, as if trying to memorize it. I smiled gently at her.

"Well Miss Phillips, our plane leaves in a couple hours, and we still need to get through baggage and customs. That in itself is an event." I reminded her calmly. She looked up at me, nodding.

"U-um, Mr. Cullen?" She hedged carefully. I smiled again.

"Edward." I corrected her. She flushed and nodded.

"Edward… In private, would you still call me 'Bella'?" She asked softly. "I don't want to lose myself completely." I looked at her carefully, then nodded. She sighed in relief. I gently placed my hand on the small of her back and steered her from the room, pretending not to notice the way she tensed beneath my touch.

**Bella POV **

I watched him as best I could out of the corner of my eyes as he sat next to me in the back of the cab we'd called. His beautiful green eyes were fixed on the road ahead, occasionally glancing toward the toll counter. His hands were fisted carefully in his lap, as if he carried an extremely large amount of tension that he kept under strict control. My head tilted to the side, and I pretended to look out the window when he glanced at me. The ride was slow, made even tenser by the rush-hour traffic. By the time we got to the airport, we had a half hour to get on the plane.

"Come on," He muttered after paying the cabby his fare, grabbing me by my elbow and half carried me through the terminal. Everything went by in a flash. We were verifying our tickets, and Edward was arguing that we weren't taking carry-ons or any luggage. We were through customs, and I mechanically stripped all the metal from my person, hoping the machine wouldn't beep. Then we were boarding, and I found myself fully aware again sitting in a window seat of the plane, with Edward watching me in concern. "Are you alright?" He asked softly. "You sort of went on auto-pilot in the airport." I blushed at the bad plane joke. He'd noticed my loopy attitude.

"Yeah, I'm fine." I replied tentatively. He watched me a couple moments longer before nodding and leaning back in his chair, closing his eyes. It was my turn to look at him. The tension rolled off him in waves, and he gripped the armrest with unnecessary force. My eyes glittered with realization. "You're not." I added. "You're afraid of flying, aren't you?" His eyes cracked open to shoot me a dirty look. "Why did you take my case if you knew you'd be flying?"

"I didn't take the case, I was assigned it." He corrected me in an annoyed tone. I giggled.

"You do everything you're told, then?"  
"Yes."  
"Really? _Everything?_" I teased gently. I saw his lips twitch as he tried not to smile.

"You're quite questionative, Miss Phillips." He replied. "And no, I guess I don't do everything I'm told." I grinned at him, and, eventually, he grinned crookedly back at me. I had to take a minute and remember how to breathe. "A-ah." I finished lamely, and he gave me a confused look.

The plane ride was uneventful. Bored, I stared out the window at the fluffy white clouds that rolled beneath us, occasionally breaking to display the ground so many feet below. I'd insisted on switching seats with Edward as soon as we'd been allowed to take off our seat belts; he had his eyes squeezed shut through the entire taxi and ascent, and I was worried if he gripped the armrests any harder, they'd break.

There was a movie playing, however it was some animated kid's flick, and looked wholly unappealing, even without the audio. I turned to glance at Edward, and jumped when I found that he was staring right at me. I blushed and hid behind my hair.

"Sorry," I heard him apologize. His tone suggested he was trying not to laugh. "I was trying to figure out what you were thinking." I looked at him, and arched a brow. His smile turned sheepish. "I'm used to being able to read people like books. You're difficult to read, unless I can see your eyes." I blushed again, and continued to stare out the window.

"You… Ah, you said you were going to tell me about…. myself?" I stammered, trying to wrap my head around the sentence. Edward, as if remembering himself, nodded and deftly pulled down the miniature table, putting my background onto it. _No, _I thought defiantly. _Not my background, Amara Phillips'. _

"Your name is Amara Michelle Phillips," He started, his tone soft, causing me to lean toward him to hear him properly. "You are a twenty year old journalist, who's gone to New York to try and get a spot in the _Times. _Your parents are both alive, living in New Zealand to wait out the rest of their retirement. Your older brother Matthew Alexander Phillips died in a car crash two years ago. His plot is at the Tuscany Ridge Cemetery in Phoenix." He looked up at me, making sure I was keeping up. I nodded, my brow furrowed. "You do not talk to your parents because they did not honour Matthew's dying wish of being cremated, and instead had him buried." I nodded again, sighing. This family was more messed up than my real one.

--

**I am so sorry that this took so long. And I'm even more sorry if it's short. I can never tell when I'm writing in Word. I hope that people still want to read this. So, please, R&R. =]**

**~Reina~**


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